Wineries from the Willamette Valley have stepped in to help Southern Oregon growers after a large contract with a California winery was canceled.
Statesman Journal

One bin of the 2,000 tons of Southern Oregon fruit rejected by a California winery allegedly for smoke taint. These pinot noir grapes will be shipped north to make a bottling called Solidarity Vintage.(Photo: Pam Danielle/Courtesy of Willamette Valley Vineyards)

The results will be called Solidarity Vintage, a name meant to evoke the collaborative spirit and essential partnership between wine grape growers and winemakers.

Earlier this month, representatives from the three of the wineries along with growers and lawmakers met at Bayliss, a vineyard site growing pinot noir grapes managed by Quail Run Vineyards in Talent.

State Sen. Alan DeBoer, R-Ashland, Reps. David Gomberg, D-Lincoln City; and Gary Leif, R-Roseburg, along with representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, were present, plus representatives from Travel Oregon and community members to show support for the Rogue Valley growers whose contracts were abruptly rejected.

They clipped clusters of pinot noir grapes, 45 tons of which are slated to be shipped north to Silvan Ridge and The Eyrie to be pressed and processed into this unique vintage.

"It was very ceremonial, but we know that there's a lot more work to do, " said Christine Collier Clair, Willamette Valley Vineyards winery director.

Wineries hope to release bottles in 2019

"That's when it took off," said Clair, "because working with other winemakers allowed us to take way more [grapes] than we could have on our own."

The Eyrie, an estate winery, only produces wines from their own vineyard sites, but they were able to free up space to make wine from 20 tons of the rejected Rogue Valley fruit.

"We were able to move some things around to make it work," said winemaker Jason Lett. The Solidarity vintage fruit at The Eyrie alone, he estimates, will yield more than 1,291 cases of finished wine.

In total, according to Willamette Valley Vineyards, the Solidarity Vintage coalition was able to purchase over 140 tons of grapes, paying $323,750 to six growers.

They hope to release Solidarity Vintage rosé of Pinot Noir in March 2019, a Chardonnay in June, and a Pinot Noir in August.

For each wine, said Clair "We are going to blend the grapes into one cuvée to be unified into one product."

Jim Bernau (right) hands a glass of Willamette Valley Vineyard merlot, made with Rogue Valley fruit, to Justin King (left) of King Estate Winery in Eugene. The two wineries will partner with Sylvan Ridge Winery to make a limited release called Solidarity Vintage.(Photo: Pam Danielle/Courtesy of Willamette Valley Vineyards)

Additional wineries, including Laurel Ridge Winery, in Carlton, though not formally part of the Solidarity vintage project, have made independent arrangements to bring in similarly sourced Southern Oregon fruit to make wines released under their own labels.

"The Oregon wine industry is made of up people with a high level of integrity," said Justin King, national sales manager and third generation member of the King Family Estate. "They don't deserve to be treated this way,"

"I'm just thrilled that there are enough wineries in the state run by people who care that we can deal with this problem here. We don't need Copper Cane."

Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel